Philosophy, science, religion, poetics, and politics are all discussed within the duality of the East and the West. She (Joan Allen), an Irish scientist living in London, and He (Simon Abkarian), a recent immigrant from Lebanon, are lovers who come together despite cultural differences. Potter tells their unlikely story in iambic pentameter with rhyming couplets, with a chorus of maids and custodians who offer their own reflections on life and dirt. 2004, U.K., color, 35mm, 95 minutes.
Sally Potter
is an award-winning performance artist, writer, and director who has been making films since 1969. Her 1992 feature film Orlando with Tilda Swinton won many accolades, as did her recent films The Tango Lesson and The Man Who Cried. Potter last visited the Walker in 1980.
Joan Allen
was one of the founding members of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, along with such respected talents as Gary Sinise and John Malkovich. She won Oscar nominations for her portrayal of First Lady Pat Nixon in Oliver Stone’s Nixon (1995), the long-suffering Elizabeth Proctor in Nicholas Hytenr’s adaptation of The Crucible (1996), and for her role in Rod Lurie’s The Contender (2000). Currently, she has the leading role in the film The Upside of Anger.
